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Ryan Jones, who allowed only four goals all season for the Shenendehowa High boys’ soccer team, will sign a national letter of intent Thursday to play Division I soccer at Syracuse University.

Jones helped lead the Plainsmen to the overall Suburban Council title. The senior earned first team Large School honors at goalie by the Times Union in December. Other schools recruiting Jones included UAlbany (soccer and track), Vermont (soccer) and Connecticut (track).

Jones, the son of former Shenendehowa cross country coach and athletic director Matt Jones, plans to study physical education and hopes to become a coach. He took his official visit to Syracuse in October.

During the 2003 NCAA East Regional men’s basketball final between Syracuse and Oklahoma at Pepsi Arena (now the Times Union Center), Jones told his father he someday would play for the Orange.

The senior understands the crowds for soccer won’t be quite as large as the 15,207 he was among in 2003, or the massive crowds that attend basketball games at the Carrier Dome.

“I went to a couple of games. Even though it was nothing like (the atmospehere surrounding) a
basketball there, they still have fans and the Big East soccer provides a great level of
competition,” Jones said.